Education improvements around the country

Nov. 25, 2013

Kaya Henderson

Glenda Ritz

Tony Bennett

Randy Dorn

Kathryn Matayoshi

Pam Stewart

Gerard Robinson

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Earlier this month, Tennessee lauded posting the highest overall gains on the National Assessment of Education Progress, administered at the start of this year. But other states and Washington, D.C., emerged as top gainers as well. In fact, Washington, D.C., edged out Tennessee for the No. 1 spot in student learning gains.

Here are Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman’s peers:

Washington, D.C.

Chancellor of Public Schools Kaya Henderson

Appointed as interim in 2010, confirmed in 2011

Henderson received her bachelor’s degree in international relations and her master’s in leadership from Georgetown University. She worked as a middle school Spanish teacher in the South Bronx before becoming a recruiter, national admissions director and D.C. executive director for the nonprofit Teach for America. She later became vice president for The New Teacher Project, a similar organization, before joining D.C. Public Schools in 2007 as deputy chancellor under Chancellor Michelle Rhee, a Teach for America alumna who garnered national attention for her take-no-prisoners approach to D.C. school reform.

Indiana

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz

Elected in 2012

Ritz beat out her predecessor, Tony Bennett, to win the state’s top education position. Bennett took a traditional path to become education chief in Indiana — he holds three education degrees and worked as a high school biology teacher and coach — but he earned accolades for his reform strategies. The Fordham Institute named him 2011 Education Reform Idol.

After Bennett lost the election in Indiana, Florida Gov. Rick Scott appointed him that state’s education chief. But Bennett resigned in August after only eight months on the job. He faced allegations that he manipulated Indiana’s school grading system to make a high-profile charter school backed by prominent Republicans look like it performed better than it did.

Ritz has been an educator since 1978 and, before her election, she served as library media specialist at an Indianapolis elementary school. She was a longtime teachers’ union president and holds two master’s degrees with licenses to teach elementary, middle and high school.

Washington

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn

Elected in 2008

Dorn worked as an elementary and middle school teacher, principal, legislator and as executive director of Public School Employees of Washington — the state’s second-largest teachers union. In his time as superintendent, he has replaced the state’s student assessment system, expanded early learning programs and supported a new teacher and principal evaluation system. The state’s largest teachers union endorsed his candidacy.

Hawaii

State Superintendent of Education Kathryn Matayoshi

Appointed 2010

Matayoshi was an attorney who worked in the private, government and nonprofit sectors before joining the education department as acting superintendent. Other government service included serving seven years as director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Her law degree is from the University of California.

Florida

Commissioner for the Department of Education Pam Stewart

Appointed 2013

Stewart was K-12 chancellor for the education department when Bennett resigned in August. She has spent nearly four decades in public education, rising from teacher to principal to deputy superintendent for academic services in St. Johns County School District.

But given that the NAEP was administered in early 2013, it’s more likely neither Bennett nor Stewart can take credit for Florida’s gains. Their predecessor was Gerard Robinson, appointed in May 2011 after serving in the same position in Virginia. Robinson immediately began changing curriculum, raising standards and revising the school grading system. He resigned effective Aug. 31, 2012, citing family reasons.